Image-heating device with a first heating member and an adjustable second heating member

Abstract

An image-heating device has a detector for detecting the state of a recording medium at a position between a first fixing unit and a second fixing unit along a conveying path of the recording medium and a controller for controlling a fixing condition of the second fixing unit on the basis of the information obtained by the detector.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 image forming means for forming a toner image on a recording medium;    first image heating means for heating the toner image formed on the recording medium at a first nip portion;    second image heating means for heating the toner image on the recording medium heated by said first image heating means at a second nip portion;    a first conveying path for passing the recording medium through said first image heating means and said second image heating means for an image heating process;    a second conveying path for passing the recording medium through said first image heating means without through said second image heating means for the image heating process; and    detecting means for detecting a glossiness of the toner image on the recording medium; and    controlling means for controlling an operating condition of the image heating process based on an output of said detecting means,    wherein said detecting means is disposed at a position upstream of a position at which said second conveying path branches from said first conveying path and downstream of said first image heating means in a conveying direction of the recording medium.    
   
   
       11 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said detecting means includes a light emitting element for emitting a light toward the toner image on the recording medium and a light receiving element for receiving a light reflected by the toner image on the recording medium.  
   
   
       12 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said detecting means includes a temperature detecting element for detecting a temperature of the recording medium.  
   
   
       13 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said controlling means controls an image heating condition of said second image heating means based on the output of said detecting means.  
   
   
       14 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said second image heating means includes a pair of rotating members for forming the second nip portion therebetween, and said controlling means controls a pressure between said pair of rotating members based on the output of said detecting means.  
   
   
       15 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said second image heating means includes a pair of rotating members for forming the second nip portion therebetween, and said controlling means controls a rotational speed of said pair of rotating members based on the output of said detecting means.  
   
   
       16 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said first image heating means includes a pair of rotating members for forming the first nip portion therebetween.